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Posts: 76

Governor

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Q: Why do they eat with their mouth open?

Have you ever been shocked by a group Chinese sitting close to you or just right next and wondered where all that noise and sound comes from? Well, it comes from somebody's mouth who is slurping and lip-smacking food or drinks. Is it a practical joke when they eat loudly or it's a culture?

 

I eat rather slowly whereas  others seem to snarf their food so quickly. I can't catch up with their speed at the dinner table. According to them, slow but  NOT sure  when it comes to eating

 

The open mouth and eating noises are very distracting and annoying.

 

What's your point of view? Tell them to eat slowly, follow suit or keep your prejudices?

10 years 37 weeks ago in  Food  - China

 
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Posts: 3025

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Because most Chinese eat with a method locally developed that in a way is similar with the concept Henry Ford came up with for a continuous production line.  By closing their mouth to chew on the food, they can not introduce new food constantly.

And this is also why they burp loudly when they finish eating.

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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1263

Shifu

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It's to catch the flies in order to gain more protein.

Not a lot of meat in most chinese dishes.

Hulk:

I'm crying.... rofl

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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what I hate is when they yawn,,, trying show everybody their tonsils,,,, fkn gross.  yes

CARLGODWIN1983:

It's to advertise the fine work of Chinese dentists.  Or, the excellent Chinese toothpaste available in all crap Chinese shops, stores and supermarkets, and also available at;

 

www.thewebsiteforchinesecrap.cn

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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It's unbelievable really. The Chinese can have a mouth full of rice and a cigarette stuck between their lips and still manage to hold a conversation all at the same time.

CARLGODWIN1983:

Funny but so true.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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CARLGODWIN1983:

I should see if they want some fist in with all that.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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This is one of the most disgusting things they routinely do. ...and the noise (the lip smacking) coupled with the gaping mouth is more than I can handle. I actually have to get up and walk away in my mother in laws home. I lie and say I have to use the washroom.

Have you seen them eating two things at once? I mean a hamburger in one hand and fries in the other. Or the skewers of BBQ in each hand at the same time. Or a popsicle in each hand. Or a skewer in one hand while slurping noodles at the same time.

brown:

The most obnoxious one is when having a phone dialog with a stuffed mouth full of  tofu and so forth.sad

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
Posts: 482

Shifu

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I hate this.

 

Only last night, I went in a pizza restaurant and my girlfriend wanted to sit somewhere close to someone doing this.  I openly said "No," I don't want to sit next to Mr. Yap or Miss/Mrs. Yop.

 

Also, my girlfriend and her family can't understand why I don't want to eat with them.  Her brother does this really loudly and badly.

 

The only thing I hate more than this is when someone is smoking near me ruining my eating experience (apologies to smokers but, it's about consideration - or lack of.  You have a right to smoke, just, if I wanted lung-cancer, I'ld smoke myself).

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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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For the full experience, sit next to a guy eating spicy noodles: slurping of noodles at 140dB, smacking of the lips and tongue, slurping of the soup, and for dessert, sniffing of the nose.

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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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Now you mention it, I have met livestock with better table manners indecision

CARLGODWIN1983:

I used to sing "The animals went in two by two" when I ate with my ex-wife and her father etc.  She always laughed so much because she understood.

 

My current girlfriend either can't understand how bad this behavior is, or the fact that I won't tolerate it, that it causes problems.

 

My home...

10 years 37 weeks ago
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did you know that 1/3 of the world uses knives and forks?      and I thought everybody ate with their handslaugh

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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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Perhaps it doesn't belong in this thread but one of the most obnoxious, gut churning things I have seen at a Chinese dinner table happened some years ago in Heilongjiang. I was invited to a group eating huo guo or hotpot. They ordered a dish full of live shrimps. One of the guys picked up a live, wriggling shrimp and bit it in half. He then consumed about another five or six of them whilst still in their state. Gross!

CARLGODWIN1983:

Hope he died of food-poisoning.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

The live wiggling shrimp ate him from the inside....

10 years 37 weeks ago
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CARLGODWIN1983:

He was just a pawn in society.  (I deliberately mis-spelt prawn).  I am also referring to the wanker who ate it.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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brown:

I can imagine him eating a live snake, slithering out of his plate.devil

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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Maybe the air helps the food "breathe" and thus, enhances the flavor? 

CARLGODWIN1983:

I didn't know polluted air had such benefits.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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GuilinRaf:

We cannot possibly understand Carl, because we are "foreigner people"....

10 years 37 weeks ago
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CARLGODWIN1983:

Ah, Chinese medicine.  Or is it Chinese superstition?  Or, Chinese logic?  

 

I am sure it's not just the last one that is complete bollocks.

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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Governor

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Why do you eat with your mouth close?

Just keep your prejudice .

From my point of view, the noise adds joy to the dinner in the acoustic aspect.

CARLGODWIN1983:

Ok.

 

You want to do that, how about I fart in your face.  That will be music to your ears. 

 

Well, it's a compromise, isn't it?

10 years 37 weeks ago
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brown:

That's right, you like open mouth. 

 

How about I sneeze and strew you with tofu all-over?

10 years 37 weeks ago
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10 years 37 weeks ago
 
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